The Russian Posters Collection is
divided into three series spanning the years 1919 to 1989: 30 posters emphasizing the
benefits of communism and the first "Five Year Plan" for workers, the achievements of the
USSR under communism, religion as an enemy of the people, and the struggle against and
decline of capitalism; 14 placards from the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the USSR
describing and depicting the strength of the country in industrial development, consumer
goods, agricultural production, electrification, and the national welfare; and the collapse
of the colonial system of imperialism and the problems facing capitalism; and last, ten
posters from the "perestroika" period of the 1980s, most of which were exhibited in Moscow
in 1988. In addition, the collection houses nine facsimiles of Russian posters from the
1920s-1930s. The posters have been digitized and are available online.

The Russian Posters Collection spans a good part of 20th century Russian political history,
and is divided into three main groupings: 30 posters emphasizing the benefits of communism
and the first "Five Year Plan" for workers, the achievements of the former USSR under
communism, religion as an enemy of the people, and the struggle against and decline of
capitalism; 14 placards from the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the former USSR
describing and depicting the strength of the country in industrial development, consumer
goods, agricultural production, electrification, and the national welfare, and the collapse
of the colonial system of imperialism and the problems facing capitalism; and last, 26
posters from the "perestroika" period of the 1980s, most of which were exhibited in Moscow
in 1988. In addition, the collection houses nine facsimiles of Russian posters from the
1920s-1930s. Some posters feature anti-religious slogans. The posters have also been
digitized and are available online.

Access to the Collection

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this
collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library
Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for
research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book
& Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Use & Permissions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University.
For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

These political posters from the former Soviet Union cover the period between the end
of the "New Economic Policy" and the beginning of the first "Five Year Plan" and cover a
range of related issues related to religion, economic and social changes, and political
events. Their titles have been translated into English by Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959),
most likely during his brief tenure as a visiting instructor in the Duke University Law
School (1941-1942). When dates are present they have been added.

An assemblage of posters, arranged in two subgroupings, from the decade prior to the
break-up of the Soviet Union, about 1980 to 1989. All except one of these posters formed
an exhibit held in Moscow in 1988; ten reproductions are in their own exhibit folder.
One poster from an anti-alcoholism campaign unrelated to the exhibit but from the same
period closes the series. The transcribed title is followed by the English translation.
Authors and artists's names are also given; in some cases there is more than one name.
Some posters are composites of more than one poster; and one poster consists of three
sheets. Posters are in original order as received.

Consists of prize winners from the same 1988 exhibit. Two of the posters have two
additional images, besides the one represented by the title. There are actually 16
images, as several posters are composites of more than one poster. Arranged in order
from first prize to runners-up.

Formats

The Russian Posters Collection were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book &
Manuscript Library as a gift in the early 1960s, 1970s, and 2010.

Posters in the General Political Posters series were a gift of Calvin Bryce Hoover
(1897-1974), a member of the Duke faculty, chairman of the Department of Economics
(1937-1957) and Dean of the Graduate School (1938-1948).

The sequential numbering and the English-language translations of poster titles in the
General Political Posters series were penciled in by Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959), most likely
during his brief tenure as a Visiting Instructor in the Duke University Law School
(1941-1942). Those translated titles have been retained in this collection guide.

Accessions from 1960s, 1970s, and 2010 are described in this finding aid.

Updated to include Accession 2011-0069 by Alice Poffinberger, Aug. 2011